


Let`s show `em how to dance, lass!

by Jane_Luta_SkyWalker



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Age Difference, Battle pair, Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, F/M, Gen, Gun Violence, Moze is a badass, Rare Pairings, Shooting, Slightly Out Of Character, Some Humor, Translation from Russian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:21:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28241574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jane_Luta_SkyWalker/pseuds/Jane_Luta_SkyWalker
Summary: Since Moze and Zane come to Pandora and became the Vault hunters, their life has became more dangerous, complicated and funnnier. More interesting (badassier) in other words. Stories about victories, loot, relationship between heroes and about the Iron Bear, which was getting both out of every trouble.
Relationships: Moze/Zane Flynt





	Let`s show `em how to dance, lass!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fairysylveon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairysylveon/gifts).



> This fan fiction was translated from the russian language by the efforts of my husband (!) and me.  
> I hope you will forgive me minor mistakes and help me fix critical ones.
> 
> This stories are mostly based on my coop game experience and consist about 60% of truth.
> 
> Funny fact, in the Russian language there is a word "kife" and it is translated as "pleasure", "bliss".

**_Victories and trophies_ **

****

Zane did his best to hide his envy and laughter at the same time seeing the latest maliwan protective technology, since an extra ten quintals behind your back might make you a literally unkillable killer machine, but he wouldn`t sacrifice his own flexibility and speed for all the pints of the world! And why should he agree to such a meaningless exchange: getting drunk with a huge "coffin" behind his back?!

The coordinated work of the sniper rifle Storm (multiplied by two with clone efforts) and the Iron Bear rail guns, but mostly the latter, broke through the shield of Captain Traunt few minutes later, who had previously done a harmless slowing rink and began to throw around lava spheres in a frenzy, which are able to cause serious burns, if not turn anyone to ash when hit. Zane, not protected by armor about a hand thick as his dear companion, was jumping like a rabbit and crossing the narrow square of the eridian Temple in Athens back and forth, looking for the most convenient place to shoot, which in fact was complicated due to Traunt's assistants with high-quality maliwan weapons, which can effectively destroy opponents’ shields. What is most pleasant and vice versa, the malivan soldiers always outnumber those who plan to send them to their forefathers, well, or to the nearest point of digital construction, which required high accuracy, mobility and firepower. Which required to show what you're made of every battle.

Now Zane was fighting with four agile commandos, which could be handled by switching to the Digi-Clone's position and walking in from the rear of an alarmed enemy, but either the button jammed, or the Digi-Clone rested in the aforementioned "lava balls", since its behavior was no different from that of a stationary turret.

"Yeah, that's right, boyo, that's right", Zane thought as he inhaled and lost all air in his lungs. A volley of four elemental rifles tore through the shield and landed him on his knee barely conscious. He knew that the nanorobots were already starting to repair the body, but he also knew that injuring and killing opponents would inject hormones into the blood that would positively affect the regeneration. But how damned painful it was! He felt stubbing pain in his guts like some sort of skag’s processing factory was inside of him. This made it difficult not only to shoot, but also to raise the weapon, leaving Zane shell-shocked: half-blind to look at the blurred multi-colored figures, half-deaf to hear only indistinct bass. Leaving Zane fight with death, which is very close to withdraw about twenty million from his favorite Hyperion client. Not death itself, of course, but it and Hyperion clearly got along. Who should it visit but an avid gambler whose life is at stake about every few minutes?!

Zane was smart enough and incredibly resourceful to avoid dealing with megacorporations that gave you a lifetime loan, but closer to retirement age, the luxury time of spending his earnings on vacations and more vacations, he was, let's just say, a little surprised that those he executed an unimaginable number of tasks for had put a bounty on his head. Among the ungrateful corporations, which is funny, was Hyperion itself. But it seems that the possibility of getting into the shoes of a Vault hunter with a high chance of dying (or Vault thief, depends on how you look at it) has turned the corporation's wrath to mercy, apparently hoping to rip off every last bit of Zane's money. And of course, to torture him, because it is known that the Vault hunters use the digistruction far more than once.

Zane was preparing to take another painful death kick from his own lack of independence, when suddenly the Moze’s rail guns took shape in front of his eyes and the special forces scoundrels and Traunt himself disappeared in their rays, agonizing with a guttural wheeze. Moze jumped out of the bipedal tank and ran to the rescue in time! But for some reason, she was in no hurry to lend a hand and gently remind him to be careful, which stunned Zane. She drew one leg back until the other was bent at the knee, and took from her back the small box she had snatched from the wedding feast on Xylourgos, and had carried it ever since, assuring her that it would bring good luck in her marriage. The joke turned Flynt's pale cheeks pink with either anger or embarrassment.

"What are you doin`, lass?" Zane gasped when she finally gave him a hand.

"Well, I saw you fall on your knee and decided to beat you to it".

Flynt took a deep breath, clenched his fist and teeth, and growled angrily. Then he waved his hand, even more convinced that it was impossible to put a link between Moze and rationality on the battlefield.

## ***

The duo of hunters went to a recorded simulation of the fight with Katagawa Jr. to sharpen already honed skills. The eridian device, which gives reality a touch, or rather excess of wildness, turned out to be very useful in practice. They were opening a weapon boxes, while crossing a corridor with aquarium walls, where the fish stopped paying attention to too frequent and probably unwanted guests or hid, although the owner never tired of smiling, waving his hand and asking to stay as long as they wanted.

"Does it bother you a little that you keep walking around the office of the CEO of Atlas without any permission and cleaning out my personal lockers not for the first time? By the way, the subordinates barely had time to update the content, as you…"

"Not at all, Rhys, boyo! Or... the respected Director? " Zane pressed the lamp desk’s button without looking at it. Behind the desk, Rhys finished fluttering the fingers across the holo-screen, and, to be honest, he was as indignant as his well-bred, tactful soul would allow, which was expressed in pursed lips lost in a delicate mustache, and a frowning "Hey!" as the table slid away. Zane was already falling down the sloping shaft with an emphatic "ouf!" and into the back yard with the technical facilities. As he landed, he muffledly chanted: "Now enterin` the clone zone!"

Rhys' disappointed sigh vanished in the sound of non-stop gunfire.

However, this time it ended somehow surprisingly quickly, a few seconds before the simulation grabbed its chest in an extremely similar manner like the Katagawa Jr. and repeated his last words before death: "Stupid Zero-tech!" and with a scream exploded and broke up into a thousands of yellow-orange sparks.

Moze didn't have time to get into her Bear and fluttered her eyelashes in surprise. Each time, either her highly-touted Hellshock or the rail guns ends the battle, and Zane only provides support, even if it was a very significant support.

"Wait a minute, what just happened?!"

Zane swirled around a brand-new, shiny shotgun that worked like a recoil-dampening bolt. A real man's weapon and how well it lay in his hands! If the Digi-Clone could talk, they would drink in the evenings and praise the Hyperion’s engineering marvel, which literally smiting enemies with chain lightning. Yes, the Digi-Clone would also need to learn how to drink, and not spill everything on the floor.

"Me shoot an` hit the mark sometimes. That's what happened".

Moze bend over double, almost dropping her helmet, slapped her knees and filled a back yard with her marry laughter.

"Actually, that me recent trophy, the Brainstormеr. Great piece". Flynt glanced unconsciously at the lightning bolts on the hull again. He considered a chance to get his hands on a really powerful weapon as a gift of fate among hundreds of other gifts.

"Let's do it again then?"

## ***

As befits such an excellent weapon, it is located behind thick walls deep underground and is guarded by a very angry and very big bad guy. Maybe even with a five-pointed star tattoo on his belly and rocket launchers on his back. Everything would be fine if it wasn't for the path to it, long and full of dangers not just because of angry groups of crazy zealots, who are giving the pain no more importance than a pebble stuck in the pattern of a shoe, and firing immediately on sight someone who looked like a hunter, without bothering to greet them, find out the reason for the visit, or even recommend staying away. But also, of course, because of the abyss in which Flynt almost immediately fell due to a crazy shootout with two anointed ones who are resistant to elemental damage. He was about to press the Digi-Clone button to switch places with it and avoid a stupid death, as he had done many times before, but at the last second before the blackness in his eye, he remembered how he had left the device in the Sanctuary III for repair, and swore softly. Moze met her death in a more glorious, heroic setting, facing the Warden`s personal guard in front of the main entrance – bunch of madmen skilled in murder who tore Moze and her Iron Bear to pieces.

Generally speaking, there were a couple of casualties - not a big price to pay for a gun that shoots a spherical death with a smaller deaths spin around its orbit, isn't it?! So the hunters themselves thought, plucking first-class samples of the Plague from the cold fingers of the formerly awing Warden. The owners of the new weapon looked at each other, realizing without words the hastiness of testing such weapons on each other.

As you can see, this story would have been ordinary, if not for the dramatic moments that accompany Zane and Moze since they became Vault hunters. And both moments were linked, oddly enough, to the bipedal tank.

Firstly, it is worth saying about the self-sacrificing nature of the Vladof’s experienced shooter, who over the years of service instinctively rushes forward to cover the infantry and raise it to its feet, in this case Zane Flynt, which melted the cold of his heart. Several times. Even if he masked it with simple jokes like: "Me could`ve done it meself, just me shoes untied".

Second and finally, the culminative battle with the Warden, in which Iron Bear was working at a quarter of its capacity, because Moze, who was in a hurry to defeat the opponents and of course take revenge, digistruct him right under the ceiling that was torn out by the explosion. Moze was stuck in place. Unable to free herself, she could only watch tiredly as her partner bounced in the cocoon of the Barrier. A couple of containers placed in front of her prevented her from firing. In the meantime, Zane was testing the Projectile Recursion shotgun (let's face it, a pathetic excuse for the yet–to-be-found Plaguebearer), which spits electric spheres to pierce through opponents who screamed like as they'd hit their fingers with a hammer instead of being roasted alive.

"Finally, me`ll get all the glory!" Flynt sparkled with happiness as he circled a large but not as formidable opponent as he might have expected. Considering the flitting in front of Moze's eyes insufficient mockery, he was making tackles.

Sitting in the useless robot, Moze frowned and pursed her lips until the Warden's armored head appeared in the gap, and by lifting the weapon on one hand to the limit, she was able to participate - and even, unfortunately for Zane Flynt, - end the battle. Battles like this make her useful, fill her life with meaning. She also enjoyed it, because she liked to compete with her partner endlessly and cause him to displeasedly nag.

## ***

"You`ve called me. Where are we goin` today, me wonderful killer of everythin` and everyone?» Zane asked lazily, leaning against her cabin’s door in Sanctuary III. Moze, as usual, was sitting on a small cot staring constantly at the screen.

«To the Jacobs mansion. I have found wonderful information in the ECHO network about useful spare parts that will increase Bear’s damage.

"Ya not goin` to miss a chance to be even better, lass", he said dad-ishly.

"Absolutely", she said cheerfully. "And I'd like to blow someone's ass off, too. I was just getting bored".

Flynt barely grunted something similar in response. In truth, in his case, it would be enough to put a couple of bullets in some scoundrel. Incendiary bullets.

The flight to the Eden-6 took place in complete silence, and short - thanks to Hellshocks - battles with the Children of the Vault, who were trying to stop Weapon hunters from reaching the Jacobs family estate, were accompanied by situational remarks like "I'll take care of those" and "Cover". But on the way to the theater there was an interesting incident that stopped Moze's determination to get equipment.

Of course, incidents like this took place oftenly. Although the digi-technology proved its usefulness (as Katagawa Jr. demonstrated recently, using several clones at a time), but it did not pass the test of time. The tech’s "insides" has worn out over the years, and replacing it with the new one is out of the question since the current one has saved his life too often. Digi-gear sometimes is incorrectly reads the size and location of the user, so that Digi-clone appears in the air, or gets stuck ankle-deep and even waist-deep in the ground (thanks to what it got the nickname "the better half of Zane", although according to Zane he has two best halves), which of course does not affect its combat qualities but inconvenient when transferring. And fortunately, it did not promise anything but smiles and scratches.

But never before has the Digi-clone stuck into the floor up to the chest, depriving itself and the user of the advantage. Unfortunately, Zane didn't notice the trap, and when he pressed the button again while reloading, he felt resistance and barely breathed and then he realized he was squeezed from all sides by a hundred-year-old oak-wood parquet floor. Moze opened the front hatch of the Iron Bear and started to laugh, clutching her stomach.

"What's so funny?" Zane tried in vain to free himself and groaned, making Moze even more excited. "Never seen a boyo hidin` in the floor?"

"Never seen such a vulnerable and sweet boyo".

Moze turned on the Bear's auto-pilot and climbed out to help, banging her helmet against the hatch in haste. It is clear that the efforts were in vain, and then again, unfortunately, the Digi-clone received a shell from a Badarse member of the Сhildren of the Vault (who seconds later took off in the electric arcs of the Quasar and spectacularly exploded into exactly six parts) and chose to disappear for charging. Flynt had to wait a feckin` twenty seconds, sniffling and deliberately turning away from the beautiful but annoying grin of his companion.

Moze, by the way, did not wait for the self-rescue operation, but took her Plaguebearer from her back, fired a fiery gravity sphere at the massive figure of the anointed one that appeared, and jumped back into the Iron Bear, turning him into a cute sculpture with her ice machine guns. Zane arrived just in time to see Moze stab her former non-dangerous opponent to pieces of ice and take the coveted trophy.

## ***

The jacket with the spider image on the back twitched every Zane’s jump. Large drops of sweat were dripping off the brow and drying quickly thanks to the Lob’s high-energy balls nearby. Concentrated spheres of corrosion were passing through the giant spiderant-like robot prototype assembled at a secret base in Midnight Cairn by the stubborn maliwan engineers, causing considerable damage. TORGUE has always known a lot about damage and especially entertainment, and since the CEO overcame his aversion to eridium — and even lasers! — first-class weapons of death began to come out of their conveyors (that`s why Zane's inventory was filled with every Lob found). It is not a pity to die from such shells... if you are will reborn in the nearest terminal of digisctruct, of course.

Wotan was insistently responding to the corrosive spheres of the Lob with something similar. Or rather, its lower part, the Thor, while the upper part, which for some reason was defined by the tech-eye as the Better half, was firing precise machine-gun fire at the annoying fast-moving target from the air. Zane would have been very happy to argue with the engineers, suggesting them to change the names, looking at how high Thor jumps, how painful his projectiles are for any shield, and at the so-called "Better half", not comparable to the above, but able to annoy.

Not for the first time Zane have been participating in such an incredibly complex battle (not willingly of course) and not for the first time had to split an enemy’s attention, jumping in front of one robot, dodging the other’s fire and not forgetting to switch places every five-second with Digi-Clone, which holds a copy of Plaguebearer in his hands of course, a magnificent weapon of the Warden. It was hard to look away from its shining gravitational spheres. Zane`s drone, SNTNL, was handling with small-scale opponents like Wotan's drones and distracting them more with interference and electricity than with damage. Although one cute little person would instantly turn them into a short-lived memory if she hadn’t fall into the abyss performing joyous self-confident double jumps on her... Bear.

"Moserah Hayussinian Yan-Lun al-Amir Andreyevna, what's wrong with this classy lass?"

He dodged and killed with shaking hands crowds of maliwan mercenaries of various sizes and cunning, cyber dogs and radiation spheres ("fecking elusive spheres!"), and at first cursed Moze for frivolity and lack of discipline. And only then, having running a good few miles down this way, he wondered if Hyperion's digital technology had failed... Maybe he won't see this little jumped-up cutie’s face again?! It turned out that his fears were in vain, because Maliwan found a way to jam the terminals (to their own detriment too), and happy Moze joined to collect trophies soon after the charred part of Wotan's intelligent module stopped rolling. If you were wondering if Zane Flynt had managed to defeat Wotan and his two halves on his own, the answer is yes. Otherwise, he would not have received the new title — along with a string of past but less important ones — Wotan slayer (of course, until he shamefully conceded a more serious title to his adored companion).

But he's not alone now. Should be not alone. He's just not in a position to turn around and check what happened to his dear partner, since according to the ECHO report, her condition is stable. Flynt had a strong desire to find out what happened to her, as strong as the desire to deal with the robot. As a result, he made a tackle on the run, passing a scattering purple spheres over his head (his shields screeched!), and released the entire clip of the Lob, turning Thor into a pile of clanking debris. He have finally lost his sense of danger and had time to determine Moze's location and rush to her with a question:

"What tricks’ demons made ya hide behind containers in the middle of a fight?!" Zane breathlessly wheezed indignantly, while his Digi-Clone, which conveyed his magnificence and grace, shone with electric charges of the Plaguebearer last seconds.

Moze averted her innocent gaze from the ECHO-3 screen.

"Nothing. I just changed the weapons on the Bear to the ice machine guns which consumes less fuel. That's all".

"That`s all?! Me almost died `ere with a dozen enemies, and two of `em weren`t ordinary at all! "

"But you managed it. Just like you did the last time".

She left a kiss on his lips before she jumped into the bipedal tank with a venomous yellow skeleton engraving and smashed the remnants of her opponents into the same dust that carries the dry wind of the Pandora. Zane waved a hand.

"Argh! Me can't be mad, `cause ya damn right, lass!" He stepped out of the container and looked across the battlefield. "Hmm. Me probably looked pretty good, sheddin` sweat and a swarm of projectiles. Too bad me was the only spectator. Next time, me'll install a camera on Zoomer". 

## ***

During the sudden and stunning attack on the looters or mercenaries of the Pretty boy, Zane Flynt made sure that death visited those ganky nobs rather soon, while Moze have lost count of bodies she put down with the clink of a coins on the floor. With a final gurgling grunt from the marauders, Flynt began to examine the corpses in search of weapons, behaving dangerously like the dead mobs. It was reassuring that Moze was doing the same. After all, compared to the rest they (and their allies) are more or less are the good guys here.

"Come`ere, lass!", Zane called out, trying to be louder than the crackling and circling SNTNL still not convinced that there was no threat. "Me`ve a very nice gift. Me hope it`ll be very useful for you".

"Wow!" Moze turned around and pulled up the corner of her lip. "I can say the same to you".

"Me've heard it before. `bout two dozen times".

The partners exchanged class modifiers that might interesting each other, as well as their preferred weapons.

"Me think we`ve a good eye for noticing` important stuff."

"I would definitely refuse to have anything to do with Ember". Moze folded her hands jealously and tilted her head to one side. "Though your eye lit up at the sight of her."

She pointedly turned away, but glanced curiously at the obnoxious Flynt, who was blossoming with a strange mix of shame and excitement. It looked even more expressive in the flickering glow of the Widowmaker grenade, which the Digi-clone had thrown just before its disappearance.

"Lass…", Zane lost his breath, his hands crossed over his chest. "Honestly, me`ve a taste for ladies with a spark... in their souls. And spark in their hands, too. But you win over her at least…" He narrowed his eye. "In that... me met you earlier! Otherwise, me middle name wouldn't be... Loyal?" The falseness in his own words did not escape him, and it shamed him a little.

"You're only loyal to your trinkets".

"Not at all, dear lass, but... "

"Come on, chatterbox. You were forgiven".

Moze walked quickly toward the VIP room with the mandatory prizes for risk gamblers waggling her broad hips.

Meanwhile she wondered where new Bear’s parts could be obtained to increase its firepower so that the obnoxious Flynt will go blind (metaphorically speaking) from the splendor of its explosions.

## ***

The moment this treacherous little bastard appeared on the big screen with his legs spread wide, imitating some long gone celebrity from the ECHO network, Flynt bit the bullet and drew his best weapon to turn the mawkish face of a mediocre programmer or model into a bloody nothing at once. However, waiting was stretching out and Freddie was descending, accompanied by his circus robots, threatening like everyone else to finish off the hunters.

Zane was jumping in impatience, switching between the rapid-fire Breath of the dying, Hellshock that leaving no living place on the opponents, Lob that is smashing almost everyone to atoms and finally the murderous Plaguebearer, not daring to make a choice in favor of one weapon. Each one helped him to disassemble a dozen robots into sparkling parts, and certainly wouldn`t left anything from the soft and fragrant skin of Freddie. Perfume with a hint of machine grease.

Moze inside the bipedal tank stuck out the tip of her tongue and squinted. She was also tired of waiting for the crawling lift from the private office of the long-dead Handsome Jack, who obviously liked to look at luxury and stay "above" this luxury and its guests for as long as possible, and so she raised the rail guns. Carefully targeting Freddie's position on the platform, she pulled the trigger and fired several shots, melting the transparent armor material in a blinding azure. The traitor's soulless body with a hole of the size of his slender torso fell to the elevator shaft’s bottom. A pile of money of the highest denomination fell out of a miniature pink waist bag, and this time, in the hands of the hunters, money will serve a more noble purpose. Zane was not going to spend it on slot machines or at the VIP rooms, of course, do not even suspect him.

He quite a bit quenched his thirst for revenge on Freddie's henchmen, circus performers with the sweetest names Petunia and Dandelion, releasing a lot of different-caliber bullets, projectiles and cartridges. But he couldn't stop both his grudge against Moze and his admiration with the Bear that always helped her out in any dangerous situation.

"You know, I wanted revenge, too". Moze slowly climbed out of the hatch and sent the robot to the charging station in the cold glow. "By the way, you gave me a good modifier".

"This is exactly the phenomenal result me was hopin` for!" Zane hid his anger and grudge and immediately regretted it, upset by his pretense. "But the next brute is on me! And me determined to win the fight for that right, so watch out".

Moze, indifferent to the warning, sighed, blew a lock of hair from her face, and with a well-honed leap was inside the newly digistructed Iron Bear, to show with a single volley how insignificant Flynt's Transformer shield was and his claims on the right to be the first to finish off any traitors.

## ***

Shaking a feather on his hat Hammerlock some time ago enthusiastically led the Vault hunters along a rocky gorge and warned about one or another threat — wolven howlers or spitting venom floating vile kriches, who certainly require skill and accuracy to be taken down, but in no way comparable to the main coveted trophy — the wendigo. He was ensconced in a large den in the lowlands, where the descent apparently led. Without warning, Zane released Zoomer from his shoulder and activated the Digi-Clone, literally doubling the fire that was dangerous to the flesh. Zane who was trying on the role of a hunter on exotic animals fought with the same creature in not the most elegant way once — frontal attack with a shotgun. And this time he hoped to confuse beast using spontaneous transfer from place to place.

However, the wendigo seemed to be ready for such rapid maneuvers and his fleecy carcass briskly attacked the Digi-Clone, destroying it in the moment with his twisted horns. Zane frowned and opened his mouth, but continued to jump around and shoot fire. In less than fifteen seconds he repeated his trick with the same result.

Let's be honest, it wasn't really necessary teasing the wendigo with phrases like "Try to take out this attractive bastard right there!" or "That dashin` fook over there was makin` eyes at yer sister!" His own fault.

"You killed my clone again, you vile creature?!" Zane was angry, almost amused. "Ha! Well, you hit me vulnerable attractive points, and me`ll hit yours! Watch yer kife, wendigo!" He appealed to the red belly of the attacking beast. "Me goin` after it with me ... uh, not a Hellshock, not a Krakatoa, or a TK`s Wave, since ya obviously invulnerable to fire... So, wait a moment, me'll figure out what me have for you".

In the end, the fight was won by a well-coordinated work with Moze and of course her explosive Bear. However, that did not overshadow the fact of revenge on quirky and cunning creature, even for temporary combat technologies.

## ***

"Wait," Zane stopped his companion, who was just hurrying toward Marcus's store on Sanctuary III. "How great is the new me?"

Moze leaned her body back a little, tilted her head in the knit hat to the left and then to the right, and grinned:

"Banknotey purple. Nicely. Oh, I have something for you. Try it, see if you like it, since me not".

A Hyperion shotgun with predatory gaping mouth-like shaped muzzle fell into Zane's hands. Purple, perfect for his new color scheme. He chattered about it for the next hour as they made their way to rocky Gehenna, wanting to try out its battle qualities. Zane had pinned his hopes on a weapon called Facepunch, and he was right when he saw the heads of devils, belliks, and other Gehenna`s creatures smashes into pieces. Less impressive, but still nice as an addition to the gift was the shield projected in the aiming mode, which became a help to the disorderly manner of Flynt's fight — not standing still for a second.

"Me owe you a lot for `nother wonderful gift". He slung the Facepunch affectionately over his back and caught Moze's wrist. However, in order to kiss her hand, he had to bend down almost twice. "And to be honest, me don't know what me can do to pay you back."

She didn't have to think long.

"Sometimes talk less about your omnipotence". She folded her hands. "Considering it's mostly a lie", Moze murmured.

"It will be difficult, but me`ll try", the happy owner of the Facepunch smiled and hurried into a fight to use the Digi-Clone and stare at it more than deal with the moaning about severed limbs Honchos and Outlaws. And then hurried into a new fight, ended it before Moze moves her slender short legs. There were not so much that made Flynt pleased more than the chance of outrunning her, then switching places with clone and outrunning her again, and making Moze angry.

She could only mumble to herself something like, "Get stumble you already, hyperactive poser".

## ***

After the battle with the Devil Riders, so much blood was spilled in the huge baths of the mysterious and terrifying Company that the black mess under bounty hunters’ feet was barely recognizable as water. In the light of the massive lamps that dangled like sleeping rakks on the high ceiling, an eerie picture was drawn. It became even more eerie with the appearance of Devil rider lieutenant's confidant, a big man (which is very controversial, since Zane looked down on many big men), who jumped out of the steam room. In a red hoodie and horned mask, with a long club in his hand, spinning no slower than a circular saw. Completely covered in soap.

The latter, perhaps, was a powerful argument for Zane Flynt to retreat, giving away the right to resist the streams of caustic soap flying in all directions to a Digi-clone who definitely won't have tears in his eyes. However, the idea of shooting the enemy with nasty long-range radiation projectiles from the Flipper, in fact, was not so effective. It seemed that a mixture of bath oils, eridian salt, and some gold gave the soapy warrior resistance to corrosion, radiation, and other elements. But certainly not to the murderous rail guns of the Iron Bear, which Moze immediately decided to use in order to avoid the destructive soapy, skin-eating attacks.

Flynt's envy quickly turned to surprise and then regret as he watched the Soapy's merciless attacks bend the Bear's powerful guns. Moze, in response to his ferocity, began to back away on the bipedal tank, right into the bath room’s dense foam wall. But she didn't back away for long, and when she almost hit the wall, she stopped pressing buttons and shoot the deadly azure rays that burned through wood and tile, and used simple brute force. In other words, she began to hit snuffling and blowing soap bubbles head with her curved weapons. The enemy sniffed louder, then fell silent with the help of two Flippers, taking the shape of the rag he was wearing. And don't ask why the oil-loving man was taking a steam wearing full combat gear, that`s a secret he took to his grave, and hopefully forever.

Moze wasn't interested in it at all, so she jumped out of the front hatch — her helmet clanked against the hatch again — and shouted, "My Bear smells like that awful lavender!" and started coughing. Then she looked at her mangled robot in frustration, shook her head, and headed for the showers, leaving muddy footprints. Zane trailed after her, sniffing the pleasant scent.

"Bloody Stanley... or Stevie! He may be steamin` with Ruine now, but he's got me covered in blood an` soap. An` the first one doesn't bother me at all `cause me worked as a mercenary for decades". Zane was looking sadly at the darkened sleeves and collar of his jacket.

"When you're done wailing, join me," Moze said, pulling off her shoes and pants and disappearing behind the blue curtain.

Flynt stopped smearing blood on his soapy neck trying to scratch it.

"Lass, there might still be Riders hidin` here. It's dangerous!" He peered into the silent rooms of the Company's shattered bathhouse, which had been turned into a bloody mess by the efforts of two bounty hunters, unmatched murderers, blinked slowly and smiled broadly. "`f course me in!"

Inherent partner sluggishness pushed Moze to assure:

"If you`re afraid, I have a small, but very traumatic gun that helps me out in such situations". Doubting that words would be enough, she pulled back the curtain and beckoned Zane with her finger. Along with it, she beckoned with a part of a well-done breast, a well-defined torso and a delicious thigh with a Vladof tattoo.

"Hoh, me more than intrigued as it is, lass". His fingers found the rivets and zipper and unfastened them. "Sho` me where you hide it."

## ***

The bounty hunters smiled with dry lips, quieting their heartbeats. Their fingers were still twitching the triggers of their weapons. Two battles in a row took almost all their strength, forcing them to dodge the deft "shearing" attacks of Rose and the unknown lethality of the her bred pet’s rays — they didn`t want to check! The bounty hunters were experienced enough and had too many weapons to run out of ammo.

Now they are running to the Vestige to inform its inhabitants not only about fulfillment of task, but of a mission of great importance, the salvation of Gehenna and perhaps the system — who knows how voracious the Ruiner is?! — from destruction.

But the inhabitants already knew all about it, if they hung thanks banners and gathered at the main square of the Blackstone plaza. Juno insinuated via her’s communicator that bounty hunters should go straight there. That was already clear thanks to the loud music pouring out, calling to dance. It didn`t seem strange when the survivors of the recent firefall from the darkened sky and the attack of the Devil riders’ remnants, - reduced in number, though, but not in frenzy, - hastily cremated the fallen and began to dance. Or clap their hands rhythmically. The inhabitants of the Vestige had drunk too much poison from the springs of Gehenna not to find time to smile. Especially when there was a significant reason.

"Here they come. The walking legends that saved us all!" Juno’s deep and less frowning voice greeted the duo of bounty hunters. She kept her feet steady after the injury. It seems, if they didn`t become friends with Titus, then they began to trust each other, or at least help each other. It's hard to imagine that a few days earlier, they were crashing down thunder and lightning on each other no less spectacular than the maliwan weapons! And now she encourages everyone to honor the Titus. "This celebration is for you! All the inhabitants of the Vestige and all the living things of Gehenna are grateful to you... even if they don't realize it".

"For us, you say?! Moserah, lass, let's show `em how to dance!" Zane said flatly. "But first let's get our throats wet."

They wet their throats more than necessary, and they cut a rug on the dance floor for a few minutes (in an idiotic way to attract attention, Zane Flynt couldn't resist showing off his mediocre robot movements).

Then Juno asked for silence to remind of the most important thing: "About that bounty... You sure earned it and then some. So here, take it. Head on over the bank. Whatever`s inside is yours for the taking. We definitely owe you".

Flynt nodded modestly and slowly took the huge key that opened probably a door the size of a house, which he was made sure of after a minute when he stood in front of the vault of a small bank of Vestige. The less residents – the less savings.

"Look, me not one of those characters who act accordin` to genre blindness, so me expect a trap behind the door instead of a potential reward, which is crippling at best".

"What are you getting at?" Moze turned away from the massive round slab, waving her thick ponytail, and frowned at her companion.

"Me point is that someone who defeated the Ruiner, which is obviously the most powerful creature in the system — but probably inferior to the mighty Iron Bear — will be just as dangerous as him. And opening the hunt for those «someone» will be the next logical decision for the locals".

"You think it's careless to go inside?!" Moze's face, wrinkled in disbelief, looked like a citrus.

"Me think so, lass. Someone who relaxed and lost all vigilance will be an easier…prey. Me've done this meself a couple of times in me career. A couple dozen times".

"In the Vestige are living straight and honest people. I trust them".

"Me too. So me desperate to come up with any excuse, even a stupid one, to turn your pretty face away from the door". Moze's puzzled look allowed Zane to continue. "Me lookin` at this key and want to give it back. Me don't need any more loot. Me've got too many weapons and ammunition, and money to replenish both if necessary for the next decades! If me`ll avoid the risk, of course". He placed the key on the nearest clerk's desk, which had been in a state of disarray since the recent raid. The Devil riders clearly didn`t find any money among the papers and stationery, only bullets that whizzed away their pathetic lives, soaked in poison and dishonor. "Me tired, me hafta admit. We've killed too many, not that me don't like it, but me'd like to stop sumwhere where aren't no COV`s, malivans, Devil riders, scags, belliks, robots, and other manky gits". Flynt fell to one knee and could still look his short-legged companion straight in the face. "Moserah Hayussinian Yan-Lun al-Amir Andreyevna..." he said sensuously, forcing Moze to take a little more air in her lungs and pull up her chin. "Would you like to rest for at least a day or two in me company sumwhere more comfortable than the showers and iron beds of Sanctuary III? Do you agree to rush to someone's home planet, while letting` go of a submachine gun?" said in a hurry and only then realized.

"Zane, boyo, it looks like you've become attracted to a wrinkled and paralyzed retirement!", he thought.

"You're asking a First-Class Gunner to let go of her weapon, to stop doing what she's dedicated her life to, to stop doing what she's best in?!"

For the most part, she wasn't exaggerating at all. Zane looked at her expectantly, pursing his lips.

From afar the local bard sang a ballad about the hard times of the Vestige, which ended with the advent of the bounty hunter, once again. A beautiful guitar melody that feeds Zane's desire to reap the benefits of his achievements.

"Perhaps," she sighed reluctantly. "But first we'll take a look at Minos Prime. Tannis asked us to investigate an outgoing signal of unknown origin. She promised us difficult fights with the Guardians and riddles, and we can't ask for more", announced a demand that could not be denied. "So get up! We have a job to do!"

His consent was the beginning of his defeat and, accordingly, the rise of Moze above all the achievements of charismatic and charming Zane Ferocity Flynt, the famous Wotan killer, the Deathbringer, the Sharpshooter, the Lucky one, the three times winner of the competition "most sexy mercenary", and many others by the mere fact of killing explosive Anathema the Relentless and the Scourge who was dishonestly restoring his own shields. If Zane managed to survive battle with Anathema using his last ounce of strength and speed (he have both more than enough), the Scourge, according to his name, had the ability to teleport his enemies in a random area full of Guardians, which proved fatal only for Zane. Since Moze was not hindered by any difficulties, foul weather, mud or dark. She always got her enemy in sight. A true woman warrior, no wonder that she is the only survivor of the suicide mission.

After a while, when the digital construction terminal was set up by the efforts of the honorary sirentologist, Tannis, Zane could congratulate the sweating and incredibly proud Moze, who stood in the middle of the hall with the ceilings of an amazing height. The white light fell on her petite figure.

"It's time for my Bear to rest". She smiled at Zane as she rubbed the grenade launcher she'd found.

He began to shine. "Me`ll count this as a positive response to me offer. Where can we celebrate? Shall we go to yer place?" Or to me?"

"Here!"

"Right here? But..."

"Defend yourself!" Moze quickly began a friendly duel to the first blood and stood into a fighting pose.

Zane had no choice but to took his grenade launcher off his back and accepted the challenge in frustration.

"Me lass, me fool lass. Ya going to lose", he thought.

They were destined to participate in many duels, including those without weapons, which, they had to admit, turned out to be much more exciting. Zane and Moze, fugitives in their home systems for acts of sabotage (including espionage, smuggling, murder, and a dozen other crimes) and desertion respectively, had unanimously chosen a place to rest not on Pandora, even though their important meeting had taken place there. However, they agreed to visit Pandora immediately at the first Crimson Raiders’ call, since Zane and Moze were their honorary members, after all.


End file.
